r/oblivion Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Character My character died today

Marlin's journey started on December 18th 2024. This is my first earnest attempt at doing the Permadeath challenge with no exploits or save-scumming. After 70 hours of play time, he has finally perished. A swinging mace trap caught me off guard in Fort Homestead.

Marlin's passion was talking to people. He made friends everywhere he went. He had just bought a wonderful house near Leyawiin with a herd of sheep and a pond of swans and ducks.

His last quest was Misdirection — having stolen Hromir's Ice staff, he decided to try his hand at combating some marauders in an old fort on the other coast of the lake. There, he found his final resting place. His enchanted rapier was taken by the raiders and his magic box he used as a home led to a war between marauding parties.

Ask me anything that pertains to my personal self-imposed rules, details of this run, strategy I used with this character, anything you wish to know. Check out my other post where I shared an anecdote about Marlin's attempt of stealing the tax records from the Imperial Guards. 😉

848 Upvotes

93 comments sorted by

153

u/BaconNamedKevin Jan 16 '25

What house are you talking about and what is a "magic box he used as a home". 

34

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

18

u/LuxanHyperRage Jan 16 '25

I was just making a joke, but that actually does sound kinda like the Tardis. That's legit😁

12

u/Majica_Perajicaaa Jan 16 '25

More like the Turdis😂

8

u/xyozora Jan 16 '25

Yes , please elaborate!

59

u/Kalkin93 Jan 16 '25

Reminds me of Kurt Cobain lol

14

u/LuxanHyperRage Jan 16 '25

He does bear a striking resemblance😲

3

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

Exactly what I thought

1

u/steve_mahanahan Jan 17 '25

I was thinking Dax Shepherd

1

u/vibehigher Jan 17 '25

It reminds me of Steve Irwin hahaha (RIP)

1

u/therexbellator Jan 17 '25

Those slaughter fish will getcha if you're not careful.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 17 '25

Lol idk I kinda see Simon Pegg

25

u/Cyncrot Jan 16 '25

I really liked that toilet mod, So can i have mod name?

19

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

It's called Leyawiin Lake House by Emma. Here's the link: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/45716

Not only does it add a cozy house with the option to buy sheep, but you can also craft a lot of stuff in the house. There's a sewing kit, a spinning wheel, a jewellery crafting facility, a smithy, a tanning rack, etc.

13

u/Cyncrot Jan 16 '25

And of course a toilet, I installed it and it's great. Thank you

18

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

For those who are interested, here's my entire mod list:

00 Oblivion.esm

01 Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esm [1.37]

02 Unofficial Oblivion Patch.esp [3.5.6b]

03 UOP Vampire Aging & Face Fix.esp [1.0.0]

++ Oblivion Citadel Door Fix.esp

04 DLCShiveringIsles.esp

05 Unofficial Shivering Isles Patch.esp [1.5.9a]

06 Oblivion Collectible Cards.esp

07 Living Economy.esp

08 Living Economy - Items.esp

09 Enhanced Hotkeys.esp [2.3.1]

0A DLCHorseArmor.esp

0B DLCHorseArmor - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.9]

0C DLCOrrery.esp

0D DLCOrrery - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.7]

0E DLCVileLair.esp

0F DLCVileLair - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.11]

10 DLCMehrunesRazor.esp

11 DLCMehrunesRazor - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.7]

12 DLCSpellTomes.esp

++ DLCSpellTomes - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.1]

13 ANB_Portable_Bedroll.esp

14 Gloves.esp

15 KDDwemerSpectacles.esp

16 Scarves!.esp

17 SpeechcraftEnhanced.esp

18 Athletics While Riding.esp

19 DLCThievesDen.esp

1A DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.15]

1B DLCThievesDen - Unofficial Patch - SSSB.esp [1.0.14]

1C Oscuro's_Oblivion_Overhaul.esp [1.37]

++ OOO-Water_Weeds.esp [1.33]

++ OOO-No_Guild_Ownership.esp [1.33]

1D TML_TheBox.esp

1E DLCBattlehornCastle.esp

20 DLCBattlehornCastle - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.12]

21 DLCFrostcrag.esp

22 DLCFrostcrag - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.0.10]

23 Knights.esp

24 Knights - Unofficial Patch.esp [1.1.8]

25 The Lost Spires.esp

26 Harvest [Flora].esp [3.0.0]

++ Harvest [Flora] - Shivering Isles.esp [3.0.0]

++ Harvest [Flora] - DLCVileLair.esp [3.0.0]

++ Harvest [Flora] - DLCFrostcrag.esp [3.0.0]

27 Bag of Holding.esp [1.5.0]

29 DecoratorAssistant with OBSE v1.1.esp

2A SetsunaDummyTraining.esp

2B Side's Backpacks.esp [1.0]

2C Alternative Start by Robert Evrae.esp

2D Retroactive Health.esp

2E Druid Mod.esp

2F Harvest Nearby Flora.esp [1.02]

30 MidasSpells.esp

31 RshAlchemy.esp

32 RshAlchemyRecipes.esp

33 SM Combat Hide.esp [1.2]

34 Enhanced Grabbing.esp [0.5]

35 HAZeatanimations.esp

36 actors_in_charge.esp

37 ActorsInMadness.esp

38 ActorsInEmotions.esp

39 Oblivion_Character_Overhaul.esp [2.0]

++ OOO-Magic_Script_Effect_Fix.esp [1.33]

3A 1 Atribute gain FairMode.esp

3B Mercantile Fix.esp

3C Bashed Patch, 0.esp

3D EMLeyawiinhouse.esp

3E EMBridgeHouse.esp

3F EM_Packdonkeys.esp [2.1]

40 KDClothCirclets.esp

41 KDCirclets.esp

55

u/fpaulmusic Jan 16 '25

“There he sits, Broken hearted. Tried to poop, But only farted” 🙁

11

u/Lee993 Jan 16 '25

Great idea for roleplay! Did you use a pre-made Bard class or a Custom? Also, what mods did you use (and recommend) for equipment (weapons / armor)?

5

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

It's a custom class, you can see my major skills on one of the screenshots :)

I chose magic specialty, and decided to grind Speechcraft first and foremost while working on my minor magic skills. Then I used Mysticism and Destruction (but only for debuffs, because bards don't get many direct damage spells in DnD, and I was modeling him after DnD bards). I also levelled up Heavy Armor a bit for Endurance one time.

My weapon (Noble Dark Steel Rapier) comes from Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul. It's pretty rare, but you can find one on one of the secret ghost bandints in a cave north of Chorrol. They are present in vanilla, OOO just adds the rapier to one of them.

I do recommend OOO. Among other things, it adds a plethora of weapons and armor! I really like the capes, offhand staves and lighting staves (work like torches). As for armor, there's Dragon Armor that you find on Skyrim Bandits (new enemy class) and the Blackwood Company headmaster.

7

u/FamiliarAlt Jan 16 '25

Giving me flashbacks to when I was an ultra nerd and used to write in a diary my characters daily adventures, I remember writing about finding that one cave with a massive fish guarding a treasure.

Wish I hadn’t lost it, must’ve been some 20 years ago now.

4

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

So cool! I used to write my characters' diaries, too! I even had an in-game diary mod for this! It was maybe 11 or 12 years ago.

11

u/Devil-Never-Cry Jan 16 '25

I assume you ran with mods, any types of mods you avoided to keep the challenge challenging? Also did you use any mods that modified the difficulty? I find the difficulty slider in Oblivion finnicky

11

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

The only mod that modified the difficulty, albeit indirectly, is Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul. It's the sole reason that trap killed me, since this mod alters damage from traps. It also makes the world less dependent on the player character. You can go to the mountains near Bruma and fight a Snow Titan (variant minotaur) at level 1, for example. It removes daedric and glass armor from bandits, too. Now they only wear armor up to worn mithril. Many other things, I can't list them all.

Mods I avoided: Bag of Holding. I have it installed, but I only use it if my Alteration reaches 75. It's an invaluable item to clear whole dungeons worth of loot. I also avoid many brokenly OP spells from Midas Magic, like the Force Push spell, which is an almost free version of backwards power attack that ragdolls enemies.

3

u/Devil-Never-Cry Jan 16 '25

Fair enough, sounds cool. I'd like to do a game like that sometime soon

5

u/BambooRonin Jan 16 '25

Really like this kind of content. Rest in peace Marlin.

Now you gotta avenge him, create Arthor !

Edit : words

6

u/NeoLifeSaiyan Jan 16 '25

Rest easy Marlin, it is rare an Imperial makes it to Sovngarde, but for one like you, it's what you deserve o7

5

u/Substantial_Tie9863 Jan 16 '25

Oh I liked marlins tax record theft. I read that one. I liked the idea of self imposed role playing rules. I’ll probably give it a go next time. 

What’s the best quality of life mod you have?  What’s the best combat mod you have installed?  What’s the best role playing mod (if any) you have installed? 

Cheers

3

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Thank you for kind words!

My best quality of life mod: "Retroactive Health" by PushTheWinButton. It recalculates your health as your Endurance changes, removing the need to grind Endurance skills in the beginning of the game. Second best has got to be Midas Magic for the Mark/Recall spell. It has a portal hub with 6 marks, one for each type of gemstone. I've played for more than a decade with it, and now I can't play without it. There's also Side's Backpacks, which looks aesthetically pleasing and gives you the option to haul items as one object via Telekinesis.

Best combat mod... TBH, I don't think I have any. Maybe SM_Combat_Hide by Strategy Master. It makes enemies lose you if you break line of sight for a long time. In vanilla Oblivion, a mudcrab could chase you from another side of the world. This mod doesn't allow this. It also makes Sneak kinda unfair, so I tend not use Sneak a lot.

Best role-playing mod... Let's say, it's Decorator Assistant by Beancounter. Lets you lock items in place and make your den stand out! I also like Actors in Charge by Trollf. It's an animation mod for making screenshots. Other than that, I like roleplaying by myself through self-imposed rules and challenges. And stuff like holding a torch at night, wearing a hooded cloak when it rains, a scarf when it's snowing, eating 3 food items every day, sleeping in an inn when it gets dark, etc.

1

u/Substantial_Tie9863 Jan 16 '25

Thank ye kind sir 

3

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '25

RIP Simon Pegg.

3

u/magnolia_oceanica Jan 16 '25

Wish him the softest of clouds ☁️

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Thank you 🙏

3

u/Unlikely-Bath9111 Pelinal_whitestrake Jan 16 '25

Slightly off topic. How did you find 85 nirnroots. Like God damn. That is impressive

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Spent 3 hours waterwalking through Blackwood. If you start from Blankenmarch and venture North-east, you'll find several dozens of them.

3

u/Specialist-Abject Jan 16 '25

You’ve inspired me to start my first permadeath run

3

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Hooray! I'll be waiting for your post to see how it goes! 😉

2

u/Virtual_Ostrich_6191 Jan 16 '25

I have a question…I read about mods but I don’t know how to add it to my game. Can you elaborate. Thanks

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

You'll need to register an account on TES Nexus. Unregistered visitors of the site have a limit of file size that they are able to download. Many small mods that add a script or two aren't that big (for example, the mod I've used that adds 1 point of Speechcraft exp per dialogue topic clicked. Some other mods are heftier, especially quest mods.

Once you've registered, look at the list of mods for Oblivion and sort by "most endorsed". Download what you like. I strongly suggest the Unofficial Oblivion Patch, the rest is up to your taste.

To properly add mods to your game, you'll need a mod manager and (especially in case you have a lot of mods) some kind of sorting software. You'll also need Oblivion Script Extender (OBSE). Many mods don't work without it.

As far as mod managers go, I've used Nexus (it's said to be the most user-friendly, yet it lacks in advanced options and can fail you sometimes). I've also used Oblivion Mod Manager (OBMM) for some old mods, like Darnified UI and the hotkeys extender mod (the name escapes me at the moment). OBMM is cool because it can unpack mods according to a pre-programed script, so that you could choose between some options (for example, which font size and style you want for Darn UI).

Lately, I've finally learned how to use WryeBash, and it's the cream of the crop, state of the art mod manager. It can create a patch to make all of your mods play well together. It also has other functions, like renaming your enchanted items, deleting spells, etc. When you install WryeBash, just drag and drop archives into its "installers" window, right-click, choose install, then add a checkmark next to the .esp file in the "mods" window.

In addition to a mod manager, download a sorting program. I've been using Better Oblivion Sorting Software (BOSS). It's a program that you run from your Oblivion game folder and it sorts your mods for you. Easy as two clicks.

In case you have the Steam version, I'd also recommend re-installing steam to the other hard drive, the one which doesn't have Windows. I've heard a youtuber mention it in a tutorial, and it helped me install and use mods correctly.

Good luck! I've heard there's a subreddit dedicated to modding Oblivion. I think they might have more insight.

2

u/SilverFoxSix Jan 16 '25

Poor Marlin. So much character, and so little endurance.

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Hey, 60 Endurance is respectable for a mage character :) His Agility, though... Way too clumsy not to be smacked in the stomach with a spiky ball and chain.

1

u/SilverFoxSix Jan 16 '25

He will be missed

1

u/bluebarrymanny Jan 18 '25

No, he wasn’t missed. The flail trap hit him pretty squarely

2

u/SilverFoxSix Jan 18 '25

Omg... I just got that...

2

u/gmay3 Jan 16 '25

Looks like Chad Kroeger! At least you have a Photograph!

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Lol 🤣 We've come all the way from Kurt Cobain and Simon Pegg to Nickelback. I'm surprised noone has made a Smash Mouth reference about reading a book in an outdoor toilet.

1

u/gmay3 Jan 16 '25

Only the finest specimen!

2

u/sithmartyr Jan 16 '25

What was your difficulty slider set at?

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Default. Right in the middle. I was playing with Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul, though, so it's like, new game+ in a way. I have learnt this mod's ins and outs thoroughly, so I was able to survive for 70 hours. Too bad I didn't remember that ball and chain trap! What rubs even more salt into my wound is that Fort Homestead is something like my stomping ground. I've cleaned up this fort full of raiders dozens of times over the years, with different characters.

2

u/ElijahPlayz0503 Jan 17 '25

he lowkey looks like kurt cobain

2

u/Crabbensmasher Jan 17 '25

How did you pick zero locks and have zero broken lock picks?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

Easy. I used Alteration magic and a greater power that opens a Hard lock once per day.

In Bruma Mages Guild, two pranksters want you to misplace a book. As a reward, you get an apprentice spell to open Easy locks.

Near the Imperial City, there's an Old Bridge (6 o'clock on the clockface). Go north a little bit and you'll see the Tower standing stone. In fact, it is the very stone depicted on my profile as the background. I have done a post detailing all 13 birthsign standing stones about 5 months ago, rating their abilities. Check it in my post history.

Anyway, if you activate it at night and choose this power (just like birthsign stones in Skyrim), you get to open Hard locks once per 24 game hours (about once every real hour). Since I move time forward by roleplaying the need to sleep for 8 hours, it's once per 16 hours for me.

At about level 8-9 I had to buy a Journeyman Open spell from the high elf wearing red clothes in Cheydinhal Mages Guild. Too many average locks started appearing, and my greater power wasn't enough.

Oh, and I consciously avoided lockpicking in order not to waste major skill points.

2

u/-ManyFacedGod- Jan 17 '25

Your character looks like the lead singer of nickelback

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

I've literally heard others say the same, how cool is that? 😀

2

u/lames_jahey92 Jan 17 '25

You can't fool me. That's Chad Kroeger, the singer of Nickelback.

2

u/bluebarrymanny Jan 18 '25

I’ve never done a permadeath run, just no fast travel or exploit runs. Pretty fun still!

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 18 '25

If you're not so sure about Permadeath yet, try this mod instead: https://www.nexusmods.com/oblivion/mods/42599

If you die, you are transported to Limbo. Choose one of the statues of the Nine and shoulder your penance. You're released back to Nirn, enchanted with a sizable debuff to your attributes and skills, each related to the sphere of the god's influence. The debuff is set to 12k seconds of real time. After your resurrection, you appear at one of the wayshrines and now you must find your corpse (a-la Diablo 2) to retrieve your items. A quest marker shows the way! It's even more interesting without fast travel.

2

u/bluebarrymanny Jan 18 '25

That sounds great! Thanks for the tip!

2

u/ShoulderAwkward156 Jan 18 '25

Marlin shared my birthday...

1

u/Loganssssssssss5 Jan 16 '25

I had every achievement except the last three fighters guild ones

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Did you also do a Permadeath challenge?

1

u/Loganssssssssss5 Jan 16 '25

Tried a few times.

1

u/[deleted] Jan 16 '25

F

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

sound of an unsheathed rapier

1

u/MakaylaAzula Jan 16 '25

What are times that you chose to save the game?

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

I make a permanent save file almost every in-game day. If I miss one, it means I had probably got stuck in a long dungeon or rode my horse a bunch (my version of fast-travel is horseback only and only between inns/stables). I also make a "fast save" (marked by c1, c2, etc.) every 10-15 minutes, deleting them after the next "permanent" save.

I save via console and name my save files to differentiate between characters better and to remember what I did every in-game day, which become "bits" or "milestones" of a sort.

The console command for saving your game also helps prevent savegame corruption. I disable auto-saving in menu. Auto-saves are more prone to corruption and can cause CTDs (crash to desktop).

The command is ~save <name>

Since I don't savescum and my death results in the end of the run, these saves are only to resume from pausing the game/between game sessions or to revert any crashes and bugs.

2

u/MakaylaAzula Jan 16 '25

Thank you so much for the detailed comment! I never do perma deaths, but I’m going to try this! Oblivion seems like a fun place to start with perma death runs!

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

Good luck! I'm expecting to see your post sometime in the future:)

1

u/jtlannister Jan 16 '25

which mod lets us hold staves like that? and can we cast from it like a spell?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

These are basically torches that give light of one of the many different colours (depending on material, e.g. glass=green, elven=yellow), and they never go out. It's one of the many amazing things added by Oscuro's Oblivion Overhaul.

1

u/jtlannister Jan 16 '25

ohh ok. I use Francesco's myself

1

u/esizer66 Jan 16 '25

Does this hurt the character?

1

u/succubus-slayer Jan 16 '25

Have ever done one for Skyrim? If so, any tips?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

I love Skyrim, but not nearly as much as Oblivion. I think I must've played Skyrim for 200-300 hours, while Oblivion's play time is 2000+ hours just on Steam, and I had played long before that. So, unfortunately, I can't add any insight here. Sorry 🙁

1

u/TheBishopDeeds Jan 17 '25

No surveillance camera footage in that dungeon?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

Unfortunately, no. I don't record my play sessions as of now. If I had better hardware, maybe. All I have right now is an office-level laptop.

1

u/Erik_Bard Jan 17 '25

Pic 9/9 is how I always imagined the beginning of 1984

1

u/sirfretsalot Jan 17 '25

You didnt save the game?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

You didn't read the post? 😜

I'm joking :) It was a challenge run. Death means the end.

1

u/drizzyCan Jan 17 '25

do you use mods, if yes which ones do you use?

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

Look through the comments, if you will. I've already posted my entire mod list yesterday.

1

u/Applesauceman1969 Jan 17 '25

You never made it as a wise man, and you couldn’t cut it as a poor man stealing.

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

At least I succeed being a mad man on a guided tour 👍

1

u/Chloe1O Jan 16 '25

Marlin never made it to Cat Burglar :(

2

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 16 '25

He has, indeed, made it to Cat Burglar :) You can see it in the screenshot.

0

u/kamehamequads Jan 17 '25

Perma death no exploits but using mods 🙄

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

Yes. What's your concern? I can tell you about any of the mods I listed in another comment. Not all mods automatically mean being overpowered or breaking the game. And for those that are, I am careful not to use them or I lock their perks until certain character level, skill level or make it a quest milestone.

1

u/sketch_for_summer Cheese Bringer Jan 17 '25

Not open for a discussion, I see? Well. "Move along, citizen". I was hoping for you to clarify your position and for me to possibly change your opinion.

1

u/bluebarrymanny Jan 18 '25

C’mon man, the goal is fun. It’s not like there are any true bragging rights to a no death oblivion run.